March 2, 2015

Beer and wine delivery bill passes the Senate

The vote was 32-10 in favor of passing the legislation, with both bipartisan support and opposition.

The legislation would allow adults over the legal drinking age, 21, to order up to two six-packs of beer and two bottles of wine for delivery as long as it comes with at least $20 in food.

The restaurant that delivers the alcohol must get at least 70 percent of its gross receipts from the sale of meals to qualify for a beer or wine license. The delivereis would have to stop when the the restaurant stops selling food or at 10:00 p.m., whichever happens first. To areas where Sunday sales are allowed, the deadline would be pushed up to 9:00 p.m.

Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, described the bill as a way to help small businesses.

One Senator said that the $1,300 annual license would make it so only larger businesses would be able to afford beer and wine deliveries.

“We may be helping the little businessman, but the little businessman is going to be quite sizable,” Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, said.

Sen. Lisa Torraco, R-Albuquerque, said that she was concerned that it would be an easier way for minors to get access to alcohol. She said it would be difficult for delivery drivers to verify the age of those who ordered the alcohol.

Ortiz y Pino said that there are easier ways for those who are underage to get access to alcohol.

“There are so many easier ways for a party in a private home to aces much larger amounts of beer than two six packs at a time accompanied by $20 of food,” Ortiz y Pino said in his closing.

Local option districts would be able to decide whether or not to allow such alcohol deliveries.

Ortiz y Pino also said it would keep people who are drinking off the street. He also said that it wasn’t a large amount of alcohol.

Sen. John Ryan, R-Albuquerque, agreed.

“I think two bottles of wine is moderate, two six-packs of beer is moderate,” Ryan said, adding, “if you don’t drink it all yourself.”

Now that the bill has passed the Senate, it will head to the House. The bill is cosponsored by Rep. James Smith, R-Sandia Park.

State Rep. Bobby Gonzales shook his head from side to side after listening to all the suggestions about how to meet a judge's order to provide more resources to New Mexico children who, in the court's view, are not receiving a good public education. "About 15 different ideas," the Democrat from Taos said following a hearing on the topic last week in the House Appropriations and Finance Committee.

The next time to you go to a city event that sells beer you might see beers from Marble, Boese Brothers or La Cumbre alongside Bud Light and Corona. Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry signed legislation that would encourage local beer at local events.

Democrats in the state House of Representatives say they hope to move quickly to approve a measure that would draw more money from the state Land Grant Permanent Fund for early childhood education, thereby pressuring powerful Sen. John Arthur Smith to give it a hearing. The proposed state constitutional amendment, House Joint Resolution 1, could get its first committee hearing within a week, far earlier than at any time in the eight years Democrats have pushed the measure.

State Rep. Bobby Gonzales shook his head from side to side after listening to all the suggestions about how to meet a judge's order to provide more resources to New Mexico children who, in the court's view, are not receiving a good public education.

Matthew Reichbach is the editor of the NM Political Report. The former founder and editor of the NM Telegram, Matthew was also a co-founder of New Mexico FBIHOP with his brother and one of the original hires at the groundbreaking website the New Mexico Independent. Matthew has covered events such as the Democratic National Convention and Netroots Nation and formerly published, “The Morning Word,” a daily political news summary for NM Telegram and the Santa Fe Reporter.
Matthew has appeared as a panelist for the Society of Professional Journalists’ New Mexico Chapter’s panel on covering New Mexico politics and the legislature.
A native New Mexican from Rio Rancho, Matthew’s family has been in New Mexico since the 1600s.